Portrait photos of girls - A2 Photography Coursework

Cheesy feet said:
One from my 'rock chick' shoot.
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She's not a guitarist, then :)

The devil's in the detail, really - next time, get her to hold it the right way round, so that at least it's not quite so obvious that she's just a girl randomly holding a guitar...

The thing about posed shots like this is that they need some level of authenticity - otherwise any impact is lost in the obvious fakery.
 
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TopCat160 said:
She's not a guitarist, then :)

The devil's in the detail, really - next time, get her to hold it the right way round, so that at least it's not quite so obvious that she's just a girl randomly holding a guitar...

The thing about posed shots like this is that they need some level of authenticity - otherwise any impact is lost in the obvious fakery.
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Umm... She could be left-handed? :)

Anthony.
 
dinorock said:
your not a guitarist either then lol the strings dear boy the strings (y)
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Anthony.Ralph said:
Umm... She could be left-handed? :)

Anthony.
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You can see the strings are the wrong way around.:bonk:
TopCat160 said:
She's not a guitarist, then :)

The devil's in the detail, really - next time, get her to hold it the right way round, so that at least it's not quite so obvious that she's just a girl randomly holding a guitar...

The thing about posed shots like this is that they need some level of authenticity - otherwise any impact is lost in the obvious fakery.
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Baha, I know :(. But for arguments sake she's only holding the guitar:LOL: No she's not, it was for her media project (I don't do media though). I found it very hard to get decent pictures on the shoot... And I took a lottt.
 
What on earth are you doing to the eyes, almost all are over processed, look really scary!
 
Like these three the best so far

Happy Hollie
Attitude
Hot girl nice car

Happy Hollie is shows more of her personality I think, not a big fan of Bokeh that's a bit swirly it takes to much away from the image, I'm drawn to it straight away and not in a good way, can see what you were aiming for with that, but would be better a bit more OOF or blurred in post. If you had taken the same shot with a plainer backdrop then she would have popped off the screen really nicely.

Not sure if she does attitude that well to be honest but she does a really good impression of my missus when she's ****ed off with me :) that said I'm a softy for the windswept look a different pose (probably more of a fashion orientated one) would have been better. The setting is too bright and fun to be Emo grit.

The last one against the car is a good one, might be tempted to crop higher, head and shoulders, especially if you have it with more of the car to the left in the direction she's gazing into, again more of a laid back "chillin" expression might have suited better, but I think that's just down to the model's experience.

Overall you've got some great images and I'm sure you'll end up with a great body of work. I'd be tempted to try and find some local models on Purestorm that specialise in the genre you are looking for I think that will make a major difference for you. Agree about the eye sharpening by the way, pull back a bit on that.

Good luck, keep on shooting and posting

Mike
 
EdBray said:
What on earth are you doing to the eyes, almost all are over processed, look really scary!
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I thought I've overdone it on a few too, I don't seem to see it until I upload to flickr. Using dodge tool at about 20% opacity on most. I'm thinking less opacity then; or if anyone has a good technique for eyes they could pass on?
Also I'll be using your Ricoh to do some portraits very soon, as soon as I get my EMA so I can buy some films from college. :)
MnM said:
Like these three the best so far

Happy Hollie
Attitude
Hot girl nice car

Happy Hollie is shows more of her personality I think, not a big fan of Bokeh that's a bit swirly it takes to much away from the image, I'm drawn to it straight away and not in a good way, can see what you were aiming for with that, but would be better a bit more OOF or blurred in post. If you had taken the same shot with a plainer backdrop then she would have popped off the screen really nicely.

Not sure if she does attitude that well to be honest but she does a really good impression of my missus when she's ****ed off with me :) that said I'm a softy for the windswept look a different pose (probably more of a fashion orientated one) would have been better. The setting is too bright and fun to be Emo grit.

The last one against the car is a good one, might be tempted to crop higher, head and shoulders, especially if you have it with more of the car to the left in the direction she's gazing into, again more of a laid back "chillin" expression might have suited better, but I think that's just down to the model's experience.

Overall you've got some great images and I'm sure you'll end up with a great body of work. I'd be tempted to try and find some local models on Purestorm that specialise in the genre you are looking for I think that will make a major difference for you. Agree about the eye sharpening by the way, pull back a bit on that.

Good luck, keep on shooting and posting

Mike
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Cheers for the great critique:) Ah yeh the photoshoot with the Graffiti and Hannah was meant to be the 'emo' one. This was a 'summery' shoot. Out of my 4 friends who have modelled Holly has been the best so far, but I'll have to look into booking a session with a proper model!
One thing that has annoyed me on both Holly and Hannah's shoot is the wind though:puke:
Thanks Mike :)
 
Also any PP advice would be greatly received, as I am fiddling differently with each image. Need to find a set work flow really. I'm using Adobe cs5 currently, using tools such as clone stamp, healing brush, dodge tool, brush tool (for sharpening + adding saturation etc too much to the eyes :LOL:), history brush (to even things out).
Heard of quite a few people using 'portrait professional'?
 
The first lot are Newmarket Road, Cambridge. Was thinking of shooting along there myself the other day.
 
Cheesy feet said:
Also any PP advice would be greatly received, as I am fiddling differently with each image. Need to find a set work flow really. I'm using Adobe cs5 currently, using tools such as clone stamp, healing brush, dodge tool, brush tool (for sharpening + adding saturation etc too much to the eyes :LOL:), history brush (to even things out).
Heard of quite a few people using 'portrait professional'?
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I use portraiture for a quick fix
http://www.imagenomic.com/

I find it's best to apply the action and then take the opacity down to zero, zoom in to 100% and then take it up gently so it works on the skin but doesn't loose the texture
 
I'll have to look into booking a session with a proper model!
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Look for models starting out, but with enough experience and range that will do TFP with you so you shouldn't need to pay
 
PsiFox said:
There is a great tutorial here on how to do eyes.

http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=43265
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Thank you :)
posiview said:
#3 for me - I prefer it 180 degrees rotation.

Cheers.
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Cheers, hmm I did try that, including cropping the little edge on the path off, but decided I liked the original better:shrug:
al. said:
They are getting better and better !

I like number 2 from the last lot, the eyes match her jacket and the depth of field is bang on, drawing attention to her face ! :)
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Thank you :)
 
Anthony.Ralph said:
Jimi Hendrix dear boy, Jimi Hendrix! :LOL:

Anthony.
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My dear chap, James Marshall Hendrix only played a right-handed guitar upside down... but he reversed the nut and strung it as a left-handed player would have done :LOL:
 

Holly - 1 by Ollie Matthews, on Flickr

Holly - 2 by Ollie Matthews, on Flickr

Holly - 7 by Ollie Matthews, on Flickr

Helen - 3 by Ollie Matthews, on Flickr

Helen - 1 by Ollie Matthews, on Flickr
More on flickr :)
I've found shooting in RAW & JPEG is so ideal; sometimes the camera does it's job perfectly and the JPEGS come out brilliantly, and other times the RAW versions are more true, or I can see how they can be more easily tweaked- and visa versa... Our cameras have the JPEG format for a reason!
 
Cheesy feet said:
So...Critique?:)
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Don't take it to heart Ollie.... this section has been filtered into 52/365 so might explain being overlooked...

but here's my thoughts...

the 'bad'

hannah 4 and lauren 3 suffering too much light
hannah is fringing on too much in her hair
hollie 1 and 2 and helen's are too close to the background. they have grey areas.
hannah 3 pose might border on risque

the 'good'

hollie 7 brilliant in fact! love the colour the sharpness and pose.
hannah is great eye contact, hair framing face. second place for being brilliant
hannah 3 still is a great upright and square on pose.
holly 1 cropped to head and shoulders might be a good idea as she has great expression
holly similar crop as she seems to taper rather extremely to the waist?

overall ollie, i feel you're doing well (y).. in direction and photography. good to have a range of models as each bring their own qualities. shame the lighting for helen lets her down..
 
Hi Oli, first and last for me as well, but in general whilst your model is beautiful she is quite stiff, the poses lack dynamics especially when in front of such a dramatic backdrop.

Take a look here http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=annie+leibovitz&hl=en&rlz=1R2ADFA_enGB391&prmd=imvnso&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=Xos_T4nRB-bX0QW56-yPDw&sqi=2&ved=0CEgQsAQ&biw=1523&bih=816#hl=en&rlz=1R2ADFA_enGB391&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=graffiti+models&oq=graffiti+models&aq=f&aqi=g1&aql=&gs_sm=12&gs_upl=37375l48144l2l50715l15l15l0l5l5l0l95l818l10l10l0&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&fp=8a4330b6c77350c1&biw=1523&bih=816

May give you some ideas as to what I'm saying.

jeff

Edit. This is in response to your first photos, just noticed there is three pages!
 
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Jeff.B said:
Hi Oli, first and last for me as well, but in general whilst your model is beautiful she is quite stiff, the poses lack dynamics especially when in front of such a dramatic backdrop.

Take a look here http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=annie+leibovitz&hl=en&rlz=1R2ADFA_enGB391&prmd=imvnso&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=Xos_T4nRB-bX0QW56-yPDw&sqi=2&ved=0CEgQsAQ&biw=1523&bih=816#hl=en&rlz=1R2ADFA_enGB391&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=graffiti+models&oq=graffiti+models&aq=f&aqi=g1&aql=&gs_sm=12&gs_upl=37375l48144l2l50715l15l15l0l5l5l0l95l818l10l10l0&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&fp=8a4330b6c77350c1&biw=1523&bih=816

May give you some ideas as to what I'm saying.

jeff

Edit. This is in response to your first photos, just noticed there is three pages!
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That really helps actually, I'm hopefully doing a re-shoot of that sometime so I'll try guide the model more.
SamuelSlade007 said:
Don't take it to heart Ollie.... this section has been filtered into 52/365 so might explain being overlooked...

but here's my thoughts...

the 'bad'

hannah 4 and lauren 3 suffering too much light
hannah is fringing on too much in her hair
hollie 1 and 2 and helen's are too close to the background. they have grey areas.
hannah 3 pose might border on risque

the 'good'

hollie 7 brilliant in fact! love the colour the sharpness and pose.
hannah is great eye+ contact, hair framing face. second place for being brilliant
hannah 3 still is a great upright and square on pose.
holly 1 cropped to head and shoulders might be a good idea as she has great expression
holly similar crop as she seems to taper rather extremely to the waist?

overall ollie, i feel you're doing well (y).. in direction and photography. good to have a range of models as each bring their own qualities. shame the lighting for helen lets her down..
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Thanks, very valid points there, it's helping a lot!:clap: I'll have to try the crops.
Yeh, unfortunately I've only got a bedsheet and duct tape for the backing, and one of my flashes packed up in Helen's photoshoot so it became even harder to deal with!
I wonder if I can get the thread moved to a different section?
 
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